Somehow, the fact that more poor people are on welfare, receiving more generous payments, does not seem to have made this country a nice place to live - not even for the poor on welfare, whose condition seems not noticeably better than when they were poor and off welfare. Something appears to have gone wrong; a liberal and compassionate social policy has bred all sorts of unanticipated and perverse consequences.

Summary

This quote highlights the paradoxical outcome of a well-intended social policy. Despite the aim of providing support to the poor through welfare programs, the quote suggests that this approach has not improved their quality of life significantly. The recipient's condition does not seem to have improved even with more generous payments. The quote implies that unintended consequences might have emerged from a liberal and compassionate social policy. It prompts a reflection on whether the approach should be reevaluated, as it appears to have failed in achieving its desired outcome.

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